What Makes a Man: Alliances
by SilkenNightmare
Summary: Young Rufus meets another key character, in a rather interesting way. Not my best, but probably not my worst either


Disclaimer: I don't own Rufus, I don't own FFVII, I don't own the song St. Elmo's Fire, or the movie of the same name (sadly). I do, however, one day hope to rule the world, and never have to do another disclaimer again.   
AN: It's kinda lame, I know that, I apologize for that, really! I think this is number five in the series. After this one come a pretty good one, (in my mind). Thanks for reading. BTW-Rufus is still 12 (in my mind) you guys are welcome to choose your own ages. OH YEA! You might want to read Confrontations before this one to make things a bit clearer.  
  
  
  
  


What Makes a Man: Alliances   
  
  
  


_"You know, in some way you're a lot like me, you're just a prisoner and you're trying to break free."_-John Parr, St. Elmo's Fire   
  
  
  
The voice came in the middle of the night, after he was well asleep.   
  
Rufus sat up with a jolt, turning violently to face the intruder in his room. He wondered briefly how someone got in, without his guard at least raising an alarm. Heh, just my luck, Rufus thought to himself while he pulled his arm back to strike, when I actually need them, they aren't here… Unless… Rufus' eyes widened slightly and he brought his fist down with all the force of a panicked 12 year old with an adrenaline rush. In other words, the blow was painful but not devastating.   
  
Still, the intruder jerked back, hand over his nose and mouth. "Geez," He murmured, voice muffled, "I didn't mean anything, really!"  
  
Rufus had already grabbed up his bedside lamp and raised it over his head, prepared for another strike.  
  
"Hey, hey, look," the intruder stammered, "arms up." He raised the hand not occupied with his face, and waved it.   
  
Rufus' eyes narrowed, he lowered the lamp slightly and flicked it on. Before him, sitting on the floor next to his bed, was a young red haired boy. Rufus' eyes widened once more, and he thumped the lamp back on the nightstand. He couldn't decide whether to be amused or angry, but the odd intrusion. "What," he finally asked, figuring he might as well try both, "are you doing in my room?"  
  
"Owww," The boy half moaned, hands still covering his face.   
  
Rufus waited, not patiently. "Well?"   
  
"I brought you something." The red head replied, and gingerly lowered his hands.   
  
Rufus was surprised for the second time that night, I know him, he realized, he's that kid that's always following around father… "Oh? Somehow I doubt this visit is authorized." He sneered, he had developed a hatred for his father's lackeys, based on the strong belief that one of them had been responsible for his mother's 'overdose'.   
  
The boy ignored his tone, "Nope." He turned away and dug through a black bag he had brought with him. "Ah, here it is." He pulled out a light gray object, and pushed it into Rufus' hands.   
  
Rufus stared at it, shocked yet again. In his hands was the clay dragon he had made months ago, the one his father had destroyed in a fit of rage.  
  
"I- I got it right, didn't I?" the red haired boy asked uncertainly.   
  
"Yeah, yeah," Rufus ran his hand over the dragon's ridged back, not only had the other boy fixed it, but he'd had it fired too. "But how? My father totaled it." He said, remembering the incident vividly.  
  
"Aw, it wasn't that bad, which is kinda weird considering how hard you dad whacked it. All I really had to do was reattach some limbs and smooth it out."  
  
"Well, thanks, but still, did you really have to drop in, in the middle of the night? I thought you were a psycho or something." Rufus said, he was grateful, but he had also been scared half to death.  
  
"A psycho? Nah, Rude would never let that happen."  
"Rude? Who's that?" Rufus asked, perplexed.  
  
The boy looked amused, "The guy that's standing outside your door, playing guard."   
  
"Oh, so that's his name. He never told me it." Then "Wait! He let you in?"   
  
"Yeah, but only after telling him why I needed to talk to you, and swearing to hurry up, and swearing to be polite… Sir." The red head smiled.  
  
"Great," Rufus rolled his eyes, "Well, thanks, but I would really like to get back to sleep now."   
  
"Wait. I brought you something else to."   
  
Rufus raised an eyebrow, suspicious. "Oh?"   
  
"Yes, but not like whatever it is that you're thinking." He turned to the bag again, digging in it, and pulled out a burlap sack. A burlap sack with claws. The boy quickly untied it, and upturned it on Rufus' bed. And out rolled a large black kitten.   
  
Rufus' expression turned from uncertainty to wonder, he reached out and plucked up the kitten, not noticing the small spines extruding from its back. "He's so soft," the blond marveled, and the kitten 'meowed' in return. "Are you giving him to me?" Rufus asked, turning to the red head, confusion on his features. Why would someone want to give up such an adorable cat?   
  
"Yeah, if you'll keep him." The other boy shrugged, "Y'see, he's not a normal kitten, he's," He took a breath, "Well, he's a monster…" He glanced at Rufus out of the corner of his eye, the other boy was still holding the kitten, apparently unfazed. "I mean, he's not evil or anything, but he's gonna get big. Real big. And well…" He shrugged. "Will you keep him?"  
  
"Of-" Rufus started.  
  
"'Cause I just found him, without any family or anything."   
  
"I'd be ha-"  
  
"And he's not old enough to take care of himself and I can't keep him, and I don't wanna just see him die, or something…"   
  
"YES!" Rufus all but screamed, trying to break through the other boy's rant.  
  
"Oh, good," The other boy smiled, then noticed the door swing open. "Or maybe not."   
  
Rude walked into the room, a look of annoyance on his face, "Ok, Reno, you're out. Everybody on this floor must have heard that shout."   
  
"You rhymed," Reno said, not at all contrite.  
  
"Whatever. Just leave." The turk-in-training said, glowering.   
  
Reno smiled broadly, then winced at the pain in caused. He reached up to touch his damaged face, there was a massive bruise covering his cheek, not to mention a bloody nose, and split lip, "I think you bust my stitches," he said to Rufus.   
  
"I'm sure you deserved it," Rude inserted.  
  
"Did I do all that?" Rufus asked, not believing it.  
  
"Nope, you just opened up what was already there." Reno smiled, "You know, I really think we're more alike than you realize."   
  
Rufus recognized the breed of smile; it was the sort an elder gave to a child when they were protecting them from something. It's a bit late to save me from the world, Reno, Rufus thought, but I guess I know why father doesn't hit me now, he has you to beat up on instead.  
  
"Can you please go now?" Rude asked, "Tseng's coming to relieve me in 10 minutes…" He let the sentence hang, they both knew what Tseng would do if he caught them. Rude was under orders to be unobtrusive, letting messenger boys, even if they were on the list, into Rufus room at three in the morning was not unobtrusive.   
  
"All right, all right. Enjoy the cat." He said, walking out the door.  
  
"I'm sorry for the disturbance, Sir." Rude said, looking at Rufus, "It will never happen again."  
  
"That's okay." Rufus said, smiling, he had the kitten on his lap, "It was a good surprise." The first I've had in a long while, too, he added silently, and stroked the kitten.   
  



End file.
